Pokemon: Lost Autumn
by 101stkillah
Summary: Over ten years ago, Team Rocket successfully staged a coup and took over the Kanto region. As a last resort, Professor Oak sent his grandson and Ash Ketchum far away from the death and destruction. After nearly a decade, the boys decide that they will return. Re-up. AAML. Rated T for gore and language.


Author Note: So this is a revival of a dead story from about three years ago, with permission granted to begin a rewrite of the amazing tale. I can only hope that you guys enjoy this as much as I do writing it, and reviews are always welcome in these parts. If you don't have time to drop a review, you can simply follow along in the process of this magical journey hailing from Japan. Also, the AAML comes a teeny bit later, so please be patient. Also, only Gen I and II Pokémon in this one, gasp! Another note, I had to re-up this twice, so sorry to all of the lost followers :(

_"Dear lord you've taken so many of people, that I'm just wondering why you ain't taken my life. But what the fuck am I supposed to about it? My life." - Lil Wayne_

_"A Pokeball is the device used to summon the creatures we know as our friends. The underside of the capsule technology is imprinted with sensitive nanometer sized chips that can interpret the blood pressure of even the most basic trainer. A more experienced battler can actually issue silent commands upon throwing the ball, allowing for a slight edge in battle." -Training 101_

* * *

**Pokemon: Lost Autumn**

_by_ 101stkillah

Giovanni.

It was a name that was often avoided in most parts of the region.

For one teenager, that simple collection of four syllables compounded into one word was more than just the name of a terrifying dictator. It was the self proclaimed title of an evil man whom had taken great measures to cause an immense amount of pain and suffering for those around him. In an instant, the cruel leader had destroyed a fragile childhood as though it were a mere sheet of old paper, tearing a thin routine into a new life.

The boy remembered Professor Oak vaguely.

He had been a kind faced man with salt and pepper streaks of silver hair, combed into a flattened style that seemed to exude a large amount of wisdom. The elderly scholar had often let Ash into the laboratory to play with his grandson, who was roughly the same age. The boy could recall playing with Gary into the wee hours of morning, while the ancient professor would tiredly conduct his experiments and scribble complex theories on slips of parchment.

Ash remembered his mother more clearly, although the degree of recollection was still quite low. Her long auburn had hair hung to her waist in a smooth ponytail, convincing him that she was likely very attractive at the time. It was her laugh, however, that he remembered most of all. Her loving smile and tinkling laughter was contagious in its own way.

As he had begun to spend more of his time in the research building, his mother seemed to spend more time running errands for the graying professor. A result of these mysterious trips was a nasty set of rumors that spread quickly around the small town they resided in. One neighbor had treated them poorly and made a snide comment while shopping at the local general store, and Ash had stomped on their feet. His mother had scolded him and quickly apologized to the old woman, but he distinctly remembered her baking him his favorite rice cakes when they got home.

He had few memories as clear as those. The ones that he did have were burned into his mind for the rest of his life, like a laser etched into a computer disk.

He had been playing in the Professor's lab with Gary when it happened.

Oak and his mother were feeding the Pokemon outside, and he and Gary had snuck into the storage area of the laboratory. It was an interesting place that held a distinct forbidden feeling to it. Gary had been clever enough to drag a chair to the middle of the room before setting the frame against a large cylindrical machine and babbling excitedly. Together, they climbed up and tentatively reached out to touch the forbidden fruit nestled atop the machine, cushioned with silk and felt.

The items they had discovered were active Pokeballs, he had realized. They each took one in their hands and marveled at them. The difference between an empty, lifeless ball and the one that had sat in his hand was profound in a sense. The boys had discussed the possibilities of opening the balls, but quickly agreed that the punishments would be much too severe. Instead, they had simply settled for running around the floor pretending to be trainers, shouting commands to their invisible beasts. It was an exhilarating experience.

Then, as soon as it had begun, their fun was bluntly quashed.

A sharp explosion had tilted his world on a crooked axis, while an acrid sheet of black smoke engulfed him as he flew through the air. Upon regaining consciousness only a moment later, he found himself staring out of a gaping hole where the back wall of the laboratory used to be.

Through that hole he had saw a personal hell unfurling.

What had once been a grassy hill filled with grazing creatures was now a searing inferno. A huge lumbering form that he remembered as the professor's hulking Venusaur was bellowing in agony as flames instantly combusted its flower.

On the tiled floor in front of him, Gary was unconscious and bleeding from a deep gash on his face. In the distance he could see the professor, standing protectively over a stricken form as white flashes materialized into more of his own creatures.

The professor's harried yelling of hasty commands was drowned out as a blaring megaphone resounded throughout the clearing.

"Samuel Oak! We do not want to hurt you or your friends. Your laboratory and research are the rightful property of the National Republic of Kanto, as commanded by the glorious leader Giovanni. Cease your activity or face an immediate death sentence for treason."

Ash couldn't see where the voices were coming from through the haze.

He only saw the panicked eyes of the professor lock with his. Ash wanted to help the man, but he could only cling to the little red and white orb that he had taken in an act of rash silliness. The defending animals fought more desperately as the minutes passed, struggling in vain to protect their master and the crumbling research structure.

There was no question as to who was winning the futile battle. Death was everywhere, taking the form of butchered carcasses that surrounded the professor. It was in the final minutes that Ash finally gained a visual conformation of their attackers. A company of screaming people he had never seen were quick to surround the scholar and his two remaining Pokemon in a wide circle. A ferocious Dragonite and a sharpened Kadabra were eager to protect their master, willing to fight to the death for his cause.

He saw the psychic creature settle and meditate for a moment, while the towering dragon creature blocked all of the assaulting beams of energy and razor sharp claws like a punching bag. Kadabra dematerialized in an instant, away just as the massive Dragonite was speared through the gut by a jagged sliver of blue ice. Spurts of burgundy blood sprayed the ground as the dragon was forced to its knees.

The uniformed men were training their Type 56 assault rifles on the two human figures in the center of the circle as they advanced slowly, yelling threats and incomprehensible shouts to surrender.

Too late, Ash realized that the professor had simply wanted to stall enough for the young boys to escape. Kadabra had rematerialized in front of him and Gary, staring at them both. While the wizened creature could not speak directly to his mind as many myths perpetuated, it did manage to transmit a barrage of feelings and emotions.

The animal was afraid, desperate, and thoroughly determined to follow one final command.

Before Ash could even register what was happening, his damaged world became filled with a pain worse than he had ever experienced in his short lifetime. It was the first time that he had been teleported by a psychic type.

101

It had been eleven long years since he had woken up on the floor of Professor Elm's lab, alongside an unconscious Gary. A little over one whole decade had passed since Team Rocket had overthrown the Kanto council, christening themselves the as the National Republic of Kanto.

Professor Elm had honored some perceived debt that he had to Oak and had taken them in, raising them with his wife Helen in southern Johto.

It was a struggle at first.

Neither he nor Gary could understand what had happened, or why they couldn't go home to see their family. In the beginning they had rebelled against Elm and his wife in the way that all unhappy children do when they could not grasp the concept of death. The young couple had understood their plight, and had stayed patient with the duo, knowing that they would come to terms with the situation eventually.

Throughout the recovery process, both Ash and Gary had clung to the capsules they had taken from the lab that day, viewing them as the only tether to a forgotten life. One of the biggest steps towards trusting Elm happened on a bright summer afternoon two years after their arrival.

The young professor had summoned them to the lab, explaining that they were certainly old enough to view what their taken capsules contained. Elm stayed with them, letting his Quilava stand guard for the off chance that the animals inside of the orbs contained were feral. The boys had often discussed what their orbs would hold, but having seen only a small variety of Pokemon throughout their lives, were left clueless as to what species they could be.

It was with this trepidation that Ash watched Gary depress the silver switch on his Pokeball for the first time. The switch glowed red and the ball snapped open, unleashing a flash of white light that collapsed in on itself to form a tiny, four-legged Pokemon with thick brown fur and a white mane.

The little Pokemon blinked and looked around warily before sniffing the air and letting out a small squeal. Elm had stepped in at that point and slowly offered the pokemon a few pellets which it ate eagerly from his hand.

"It's an Eevee, Gary. They're very rare and loyal pokemon. You shouldn't have too much trouble training it if you want to. Otherwise I can look after it, and you can have it in a few years when you get your license."

The smile on his face told Ash that the Professor knew what Gary would choose.

Tentatively, the young boy reached out and fed the pokemon, before taking it into his arms and stroking it. The Eevee complied, although warily, and the two sat on the floor getting to know each other. Elm turned to Ash with a smile. "Your turn."

He had taken a breath and pressed the button. The energy released from the ball came together to form a small golden furred rodent, with a crooked tail shaped like a bolt. The Pikachu had reared around and shot a jolt of electricity towards Ash, who had to dive out of the way to avoid being killed. It had hissed and sparks had raced across it's body, contorting it in quite a strange manner. The timid Eevee panicked and hid under a table while the Quilava emitted a burst of scorching red embers.

The feisty Pikachu leaped out of the way and turned to attack the fire type, but Ash was quick enough to return the aggressive rodent. It was the first time he had met Pikachu. It hadn't gone well, but Elm had convinced him that electric Pokemon could be trained with time and great patience. Those were the defining memories of his later childhood. They were the recollective thoughts that made him who he was.

Now, eleven years later, he sat by the waterside, looking out towards the distant range of mountains separating Johto from the NRK. He heard a soft set of footsteps approach from behind but didn't turn around.

"Being all mopey again, Ash?"

Lyra kicked off her sandals and sat beside him, dangling her feet into the water. Her Chikorita followed soon after and lay at her side, content to bask in the sun.

"Some people would call it brooding mysteriously." he replied airily.

"Some people haven't known you as long as I have." she countered. "I suppose that's lucky for them, really."

They sat in silence for a few minutes.

"Where's Pikachu?"

"Off with Gary to find that sneaky Umbreon. I doubt they've gone too far. As soon as Umbreon finds a place to sleep for the day he's out like a light." They laughed. Gary's Eevee had evolved into an Umbreon one night a few years before. Since then it had developed a variety of nocturnal habits that included shirking sunlight for as much of the day as possible.

This usually involved the dark type creature running around the small town looking for dark places to take a nap, and Gary spending hours trying to find it.

"He needs to get into the habit of keeping Umbreon in it's Pokeball." she stated. "He's seventeen now and he has his license. The inspectors can't do anything if he owns a Pokemon." she stated, shaking her head.

"True, but Umbreon's been used to being out of its ball for years. Same for Pikachu, and it's probably going to be the same for Chikorita." Ash said as he lay back on the grass and propped himself up on his elbows.

"Well yeah, but Pikachu's different. It has normal sleeping habits and it really dislikes Pokeballs anyway. Once I get my trainer's license Chikorita can have her very own ball. Isn't that right?" she said to the small grass pokemon much as a mother would to a newborn.

Chikorita gave a small grunt that sounded particularly negative to Ash. He studied Lyra for a while as she played with Chikorita. They had grown up together, he supposed. Certainly, he had known her a long time. As long as he had known Pikachu, in fact, as it was soon after he first met Pikachu that Lyra had turned up at the lab holding a bloody bundle of cloth and crying for help. She had found Chikorita battered and bruised when a Noctowl chased it out of the forest boundary and into her back garden.

Her father's Mareep had intervened and killed the predator, but not before it's talons had ripped bloody furrowed in Chikorita's sides. Professor Elm had helped as best he could, and the sturdy grass Pokemon had made a full recovery. This left the young professor with a curious dilemma. He had knowledge of three children with unregistered, illegal Pokemon in their care.

He would have taken Pikachu from Ash because of the mere risk of the boy being fried to death, but the youngster had stubbornly refused to be parted with the difficult pokemon. Instead, he had let the three children keep their pokemon as pets; with Lyra under the condition that she checked in with Professor Elm once a week for the basic pokemon care classes he was giving the boys.

They had been friends for a long time, he reflected, and she had grown into a beautiful young woman with long brown hair and equally dark eyes.

"Something wrong, Ash?" she asked, as she caught him looking at her.

My license came today. I can start to train pokemon in earnest now." he said quietly.

A small hum was her only reply. They both knew what he was thinking. It was what Gary had been thinking a few months ago when he had received his license. She wondered if it would be what she would be thinking when she received her license in a few months. Lyra sat looking at the distant mountain range to the east, speculating that Ash was looking beyond them.

101

A few hours later Ash walked back from the waterside, Lyra had sunken into one of her moody silences that usually indicated that she wanted to be alone for a while. Professor Elm's lab wasn't like his memory of Oak's lab. Oak had a massive amount of land for his lab, and he could afford to use most of it as a ranch for the Pokemon that various trainers had entrusted him with. Elm wasn't as wealthy but what his lab lacked in size it made up for in homeliness. He specialized heavily in Pokemon anatomy, and had often joked that he didn't need big fancy machines. With only a table, a scalpel and a fresh corpse, the man could manage a series of full fledged projects rivaling that of Oak himself

Ash rounded a small row of cottages and started up the lane to Elm's small lab. He had barely made it inside the door when a yellow blur dropped on his shoulders from above. "Haha! Hey pal, did you and Gary find Umbreon?"

Pikachu let out a squeal that Ash took to mean yes. This was confirmed when Ash entered the front room to see Gary sprawled on the couch sleeping, with Umbreon curled tightly on his lap. Ash pointed his finger at his best friend, cocked it like a gun and whispered. "Zzzzap."

The electric mouse complied and sent a tiny burst of static snapping from its tail, smacking the sleeping teenager in the face. Gary slapped his face as if he was batting away a fly and woke up groggily. After a moment of getting his mind together his eyes settled on Ash. "The hell was that for?"

"We need to talk." Ash said.

"And it can't wait until I'm fully rested?" the shorter boy asked wearily.

"Gary, you slept until noon today, and now you're napping. You're starting to mimic Umbreon's sleeping habits. I swear, one of these nights I'm going to look out of my bedroom window and see you running around the woods chasing flocks of Hoothoot."

"Eh, I can imagine worse fates. Elm's behavioural studies among trainers suggest that trainers who have bonded with a pokemon for an extended period of time begin to display habits previously only associated with the pokemon."

"Oh of course. You do know that it's complete horseshit don't you?" Ash replied.

"Wiseass." muttered Gary as he shifted his pokemon off his lap and sat up. "So what's up Ashy-boy? Are you worried about hair growing down there between your legs? It's perfectly natural... although it should have happened a few years ago. You might want to get that looked into."

"My license came today."

That effectively stopped Gary cold. His friend's entire demeanor changed from jovial to an air of seriousness. "Well then, what the hell are we waiting for?"

He sprang up from his couch and returned Umbreon to it's pokeball in a flash of crimson light.

"Where's the Professor?" he asked as they walked through into the back laboratory.

"I don't know. What are we going to say, by the way? Thanks for raising us for the past eleven years like a father. Thanks for putting clothes on our backs and educating us. By the way we're off now. Probably won't be back either. Oh and if we could borrow some climbing gear, that'd be great." said the taller boy sarcastically. "And what will we say to Helen?"

Gary stopped in the hallway and turned. "Ash, you can back out now and that'll be the end if it. No hard feelings."

"Fuck that, I'm coming. You know that. I just don't know how to tell them. They've been parents to us." replied the younger teenager.

"Like a bandage. Quick and clean is best, with no long drawn out goodbyes."

Ash knew he was right, no matter how brutal the concept sounded to him. They walked on through the lab until they came to Elm's study. Pikachu was perched precariously on Ash's shoulder with his ears pointed towards the ceiling. The mouse obviously knew that something out of the ordinary was happening. The raven haired boy steadied himself with cautious breaths before knocking three times on the hardwood door. They waited outside for a moment before a weary voice called them in.

What they found was something neither of them expected.

Professor Elm had been Oak's protege. He lived for his research, and the core of his research was daily fact checking and reviewing of reports sent to him. By this time of day, he would usually be sitting in front of his ancient typewriter clattering away busily. Today, the writing device was void of any parchment, and his research folders lay unopened on the floor under his desk. His eyes looked tired under his wire frames, while his hair looked to have receded another inch or so since the day before.

At his desk, an amber bottle of liquid was uncorked, while one of the three glass tumblers was already halfway full. Silently he poured the other two glasses and beckoned them to sit down before handing them each a glass. They had never seen Elm drink in the entire time they had been with him.

He had certainly never let them drink. Nevertheless the man sipped from the pristine glass before speaking calmly.

"I received a letter from the Johto council today. Two of them, actually. One of them was from a friend on the council who keeps me updated of the situation in Kanto as best she can, while the other was from the trainer licensing board. They wanted to inform me that Ash Ketchum's license has been sent out, and that I should expect a visit from the young trainer to recieve his first pokemon soon."

He sipped from his glass and chuckled. "I don't think that they have actually figured out that you live with me."

Ash sipped his whiskey warily and coughed as it burned his throat. He looked up to see Elm smiling at him fondly.

"You'll get used to it."

"We just came in to tell you that-" began Ash.

"You're leaving." interrupted the professor. He laughed at the look of confusion on the boy's faces before starting smoothly again. "You don't think I didn't notice all the secret little talks? I have known this was coming for quite some time. Helen and I have been dreading this day."

The two young trainers shifted uncomfortably and swapped glances. Gary broke the silence. "We have to go back, Professor. We have to see. All we know is what we can learn from the occasional radio report, and some of the Johto council's concerns about border security."

"And you need to try to find Samuel and Delia." He sighed and sat back into his chair. He drained his glass with a single gulp and refilled it slowly.

"Boys. I haven't been telling you the whole truth about Kanto for quite some time. The council of Johto has sent in experienced trainers and agents for intelligence purposes. The only problem is that out of all the trainers sent into the NRK, none have come back. Every now and again one of the bodies turns up and the regime claims that they incited the wrath of the fearsome wild pokemon of the region."

"These were experienced spies able to handle themselves. It's more likely that the NRK secret police found them, and killed them. In the face of that, do you really expect me to let two seventeen year old trainers with one pokemon each, try to cross the border? I forbid the two of you from carrying out this foolish plan."

Ash couldn't believe it. Never in all of the time they had spent in New Bark town had they been banned from carrying out an activity. Heavily discouraged maybe, but never ever strictly forbidden. He saw Elm's cold determination, and how much it was costing the man. The professor seemed to know that either way, tonight, he would lose the boys he had come to consider his sons.

Gary sat, dumbfounded beside him. "You... you're forbidding us? We're trainers now, and there's nothing you can do to stop us."

"I can contact the council and tell them that two young teenagers are trying to cross the border and breach the fragile treaty we have with New Kanto. The council will stop you, even if I can't bring myself to." replied Elm.

Gary snapped, and with a cold look of fury Ash had never seen on his face before, flung his glass at the man, who merely shirked to one side and let it smash against the wall. The two stared at each other in silence before Gary grunted and strode out of the room. Elm turned to Ash and with a quiet voice said, "I'm sorry, Ash. But I'm not going to stop acting like a father just because you're of age."

"You know we're going anyway, don't you?"

"Yes, but I'm not going to make it easy. I'll call it in. You have a few hours before the Tohjo falls and the Silver pass are crawling with rangers."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Oak and your mother were my friends. There's no way I can condone what you're planning, and I can try to stop you in any way possible. But destiny can be a funny thing. Maybe you two are meant to do this."

"Gary's probably robbing you blind right now. I'm sorry for that."

Elm turned away and poured another glass of whiskey for himself. "So am I, son. So am I."

Without another word, Ash left the room.

101

Ash found Gary in the research shed a few minutes later.

The heavy lock on the door had been bitten clean through, obviously Umbreon's sharp handiwork. He spotted his friend near the back, rifling through an old metal locker filled with an assortment of training supplies.

"And good gear there?" he asked.

"Some hiking equipment. Mostly tents and boots."

"Anything that's going to be useful for getting through Silver pass?" asked Ash.

"There's a rope." Gary finished lamely.

"Alright, you keep raiding this place and I'm going to the general store to get some more supplies. It might still be open this late."

As he walked back outside, Ash stopped at the doorway and said, "You know this is probably the most horrible thing we'll ever have on our consciences? We're robbing him."

Gary stopped searching and sat back on his haunches. "I don't feel any better about it but it's what we have to do. We don't have any other choice."

Ash nodded and continued on, with Pikachu leaping up onto his shoulder quietly, sensing that it wasn't exactly a cheery moment. They walked quietly through the small town, the setting sun casting an orange and pink glow through the puffy streaks of white clouds.

He had just set his hand on the door of the shop when he heard Lyra's soft voice call to him. He turned to see her running up the hill, her bounding Chikorita in tow. She stopped beside him and leaned forward, panting slightly. "I'm glad I caught you, we should talk."

Ash pushed the door open and walked into the small general store as she continued.

"I've been thinking. I know what you're planning to do, and its ridiculous. It's dangerous, selfish and suicidal. You've heard the stories about Kanto. It's not the same as how you remember it."

Ash continued down the aisle and threw random items in the basket. "I know you're scared, Lyra, but Gary and I have to do this. We're going to find our family."

He cursed when she spun him by the shoulder and shoved him against the freezer. "Your family is here, you idiot. This is your home. With Helen, and the professor, and me..." she trailed off quietly at the end. Ash saw her face flush red and recognized it instantly. She was beyond angry. He walked to the counter with the full basket and paid for it with the money Ash and Gary had been saving for the past few years.

"Look, chances are we'll be back in one piece sooner rather than later. There's no need to get so angry over it."

"And what if something happens to you?" she asked.

"I'm not going to say it isn't possible. It's a very, very dangerous world in the wild. We live in little protected bubbles. On the other hand, we've spent a few years with the Professor outside of those bubbles. We're ready."

He collected his change and left the shop, with Lyra shadowing him impatiently all of the way. "Then let me come. I've been out there too. I've trained just as hard as you."

You don't have a license, you wouldn't be able to recall Chikorita if it got into any trouble. You wouldn't be able to catch pokemon, and if we do run into trouble, we're going to need as much help from the Pokemon we plan to catch as we can get."

He walked on, "Besides, your mother would kill me."

"My mother has nothing to do with this, Ketchum. I'm a grown woman."

"That still has tantrums apparently." he pointed.

"I'm not having a tantrum, I just... please stay." Her long brown hair was in a tangled mess, as if she had been sifting through it nervously. Her light brown eyes were glistening with what he could only assume were tears of pleading. "I'm sorry, Lyra."

He walked forward and gave her a hug. "We'll be back soon, I promise."

He let her go and stepped back. She looked small for the first time he had known her; she was always a bit shorter than him, but she never seemed small. She reached up on her toes and kissed him on the cheek lightly. He turned away silently and walked up the long path towards Elm's lab. For the first time in years, she didn't follow.

101

Darkness had fallen quickly a few hours later, when they crept away from the lab. The sneaking wasn't necessary really, as they could see Professor Elm's thin silhouette watching them from the upstairs window. When they looked back again the light in the curtained window had gone out. In quiet silence, the two traveled north to the town boundaries in silence.

The Silver Pass was a narrow gap in the rigid spine of mountains that separated Kanto and Johto, passable only in favorable conditions. As far as they knew, there was only a moderate border patrol at the pass, rather than the huge display of strength the NRK displayed near Tohjo Falls to the southeast.

"How long do you think we have before the rangers get there ahead of us?" Gary asked quietly.

"Depends. The closest station is in Violet City, so we probably have until at least tomorrow afternoon, unless they rope Faulkner into helping them. If they get him and his army of birds, then we'll be caught around dawn."

"It's still better than going through Tohjo Falls, I suppose."

The two quickly reached the town boundary, where rolling grass met a solid line of thick, dark deciduous trees that arced skyward.

"Cutting through here should get us to Route 45 quicker than going by Cherrygrove Town."

Pikachu and Umbreon leaped forward to inspect the gnarled treeline closer. Satisfied, they growled in unison and broke through the undergrowth. Ash and Gary followed them, cautious despite the extra protection provided by their powerful beasts.

"Do you have your Pokeballs?" Ash asked Gary quietly. The older boy nodded in silence. While the actual process of purchasing supplies had been relatively simple, the rapid shopping spree had stripped their supply of on hand cash to nearly none. The capturing capsules alone had cost nearly two hundred dollars apiece, while the potions and syringes were about half of that price. The resulting receipt had totaled to nearly one thousand dollars of their life savings, leaving them with only enough money to buy food if necessary.

Occasionally Pikachu would stiffen and sniff the air, but Umbreon carried on, as if whatever Pikachu had sensed wasn't enough to bother it. The few small bug Pokemon they had encountered were swiftly dispatched by their own companions, apart from a Spinarak who had caught them unawares and put up a decent fight before being killed.

Around an hour in, they realized that they had largely overestimated their ability to hack through the woods at a brisk pace, and that they would be lucky to make it through the woods before dawn broke overhead. As it was, all four of them were covered in minor scratches and gouges from stray branches and bruises, as well as the occasional stumble.

It had just gone three o'clock when the stand of trees began to finally thin out a bit, although it seemed that the forest was nowhere near coming to an end. Six hours of nonstop walking and navigating through the bramble and bush was finally proved as a means of progress when the woods opened temporarily into a sloped clearing, allowing the two a decent vantage point through the early morning darkness.

Away in the distance, they could see the solid wall of mountains that blocked their path, and beyond those they could see the massive Mt. Silver, a restricted area that was said to house pokemon of terrible power. To the south of those, and a few hours trek from the woods, was the distinct gap in the wall they were looking for. Silver pass..For years it had been used as a trade route for the hardy northerners of Johto, who had ways of getting through it that made the journey to the Falls pass redundant. Since the downfall of the Kanto council however, it was a largely forgotten route, guarded sparsely by what rangers the Johto council could spare..

After a short round of deliberation, the duo decided to camp out under the fading stars to receive a few hours sleep. Gary cleverly suggested that they place their sleeping bags at the edge of the clearing so as to not be seen from above by the airborne wing of rangers. Faulkner's soaring bird Pokemon granted the Johto Council the capability to conduct aerial searches by daylight if they so pleased, and battling against more experienced trainers with only two Pokemon would certainly result in either death or possible arrest.

101

Dawn came sooner than he had hoped, and he found himself laying on the hard ground with his eyes shut tight. Ash lay there for some time, in an awkward limbo between sleep and consciousness, not bothering to move a muscle. A cold nose nuzzled his cheek and smaller tongue licked it a few times, prompting him to groan.

"Quit, Pikachu. I'm awake."

He sat up blearily and and looked around before wiping the sleep out of his eyes and getting up. He lit a small fire, hoping desperately that it would not be noticed, before boiling two tins of food using water from a nearby creek. Gary was awoken from his sleeping bag with a nudge to the his head, and a hasty breakfast of lukewarm beans and squash followed.

"C'mon, get up. We're going to be late."

The older boy's only reply was to sink further into his roll and mutter something about a girl they knew called Janie. Ash only knew her by sight, but judging by her father chasing Gary around New Bark town a few months back, he'd wager his friend knew her a little better. Pikachu was sitting by the fire sniffing the beans curiously.

"What do you reckon', Pikachu?" Ash asked. The electric mouse simply grumbled at the prospect of devouring processed vegetables before curling again at the fire.

He walked again to the creek, collected a pan full of water and brought it back to the campsite. He snickered quietly to himself as he overturned the pan on Gary's sleeping head. The reaction was both brutal and entertaining as the sleeping figure sprang up out of his sleeping bag and looked around wildly. The older boy spotted Ash a moment later and lunged at the prankster, who easily spun away from the assault. This went on for a while until Gary calmed and hunger overtook them, prompting them to put the argument aside for a moment.

"We'll make it out of this forest today, and then we'll get past the rangers and come out right onto Route 45 like we agreed, easy." Gary said, a trace of excitement lighting up his voice.

"I was thinking about that," Ash replied, spooning a mouthful of squash into his mouth. "We've already misjudged out traveling time once. Getting around the rangers isn't going to be nearly as easy as you're making it out to be. Even if we manage that, there is no gurantee that we are going to come out right onto the main route.

"What's your point?"

"What are we actually going to do when we make it into the NRK?"

"We find out what happened to our family. If they're alright, we will bring them back to New Bark Town."

"And if they're not?"

"Then we find out who hurt them, and why. After that, we kill them."

They sat for a while, playing with two empty tins and thinking about the road ahead of them.

"Sounds good to me." Ash said as he rose to his feet.

Pikachu leaped onto his shoulder and got settled, while Gary returned a dozing Umbreon to it's holding capsule. They kicked dirt on the fire and covered it in damp shrubbery before heading out of the hilly clearing of dewy slopes. The two boys started walking north as briskly as they could, hoping to save as much time as possible, and the increasing thinning of trees certainly helped their progress. More of the forest floor was exposed as they traveled, giving way to patches of low grass and higher reeds of autumn grass.

"I'd be willing to bet that for every hour that goes bye more and more rangers are arriving," Gary said, shaking his head. "I can't believe the Professor would do this to us."

The reality of the situation was beginning to dawn on Gary, Ash realized. It was strange, but he was thankful for his friend's sudden realistic attitude towards the situation. It meant he was finally taking it seriously.

"I don't like what he did, but I understand why he did it. He loves us the same way we love him, Helen, Pikachu and Umbreon. We're a family. Right now every step we take away from New Bark hurts them a little more."

Gary snorted. "I remember when you were an immature little kid, Ashy-boy. You were much more fun back then."

"Ugh, that name still sickens me. Quit it." Ash said, making a face.

"So your whole mature and grown up attitude is responsible for you telling Lyra she couldn't come?"

Ash sighed, "She's too young, Gary. Chikorita isn't nearly as strong as Pikachu or Umbreon and she can't catch other pokemon yet."

"Cut the shit, Ash. She's only a few months younger than you, and Chikorita's strong enough."

"Oh really? Gary, you've heard the stories about what's been going on in Kanto since Giovanni took over. It's safer for her back there."

They talked for a few more hours, striving to keep away the crushing boredom that accompanied the increasingly rough terrain. While trees and grass were still present, the amount and size of dried dirt and boulders seemed to be increasing slightly. Around late afternoon, the duo came to a barren riverbed filled with silt and fine stones. The forest seemed to stop quite abruptly on their side, leaving the opposite area filled with short grass and small rocks. Further off, they could see Route 45 twisting north in between the rising hills, a winding dust snake that reached all of the way to a city known as Blackthorn.

Their gazing was interrupted as a flurry of movement to their west caught their eyes. A large figure seemed to have been trying vainly to conceal themselves in the thin treeline the boys had exited, although they were now simply approaching in a forward manner. Upon closer inspection, the figure revealed himself as an overweight man clad in weathered hiking boots and a skewed sun hat that covered tanned skin.

"What're you kids doin' out here?" he shouted, brandishing his curved walking stick with one hand.

Gary watched tentatively as the man placed his other hand on a tarnished, brown utility belt with obvious practice. Two red and white spheres sat nestled near his vest in an active position, augmented by the dull, black frame of a Glock 19 handgun and two accompanying magazines. Ash panicked. The man wasn't wearing the flat, green disruptive camouflage that the Johto council rangers usually donned, although this heavyweight character was no less intimidating. He knew from experience that most hikers only carried light caliber weapons in self defense, lest they have an unlucky bout with the ferocious mountain Pokemon they sometimes encountered. Unfortunately, this hiker was sounding far from friendly, and a nine millimeter round would have no trouble dropping two boys from close range.

"We're trainers. Just looking for Pokemon." he shouted back.

The man laughed. "Look at you! You're fresh out aren't you? You'll be killed if you plan to head up those peaks over yonder."

Gary clenched his fists, "Either way its none of your business!"

"Don't take that tone with me, kid. It just so happens that I was just talking to a ranger a few hours from here this morning. He was offering a small reward for any news on the whereabouts of two young trainers in the area."

Ash froze in place, while the man continued drawling. "I reckon they might offer a larger reward if I brought you back in."

Pikachu and Umbreon leaned forward in a barrage of warning hisses, seemingly detecting the upcoming confrontation. Their first battle was about to begin.


End file.
